In this first biography of the man and his music, Jimmy Little: A Yorta Yorta Man tells the incredible story of one of Australia’s most acclaimed Aboriginal pop and country music legends and icons, Jimmy Little. At just 16 years of age, Jimmy Little travelled to Sydney to make his radio debut on Australia’s Amateur Hour. The eldest of seven children and born on the Cummeragunja Reserve on the Murray River, Jimmy’s entry into the entertainment industry came at a time when First Nations people were not counted in the census. In the face of indescribable barriers and discrimination, Jimmy would go on to woo the nation. His immense talent, charm and heart saw him become a household name and national treasure. Jimmy’s songs consistently topped the music charts of the 1960s, and he won several of Australia’s most prestigious lifetime achievement awards, including the ARIA Hall of Fame, NAIDOC Person of the Year, and Officer of the Order of Australia. And now his daughter, Frances Peters-Little, tells the full story behind her father’s inspiring ascent to stardom. For though this is a story about a pop star and national celebrity, it is also the story of a gentle man who always stayed true to himself and his cultural identity – a man who believed in the power of living your dreams. Weaving together stories both known and unknown to the public, Jimmy Little: A Yorta Yorta Man will take you on a remarkable journey through a life of music, love and advocacy.

For over 40 years, Aardman has entertained and charmed the world, creating memorable stories and timeless animated characters that have gone on to become household names - including Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph. But how did two teenagers experimenting with animation on an old kitchen table go on to create a world-class studio that conquered Hollywood? This is an intimate, revealing and funny behind-the-scenes story of Aardman, told in their own words by co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton and featuring Nick Park. The colourful account follows Peter and David's extraordinary journey from their humble beginnings as penniless students, teaching themselves the craft of animation, and recounts the key moments that defined their careers and shaped Aardman into the British success story it is today. THIS STORY INCLUDES: KEY MOMENTS THAT SHAPED AARDMAN - their first professional commissions, developing iconic TV commercials, creating the most-played music video of all time and delivering a pitch to Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR - What's it like to work with big stars like Mel Gibson, Hugh Grant and Eddie Redmayne, and what goes on behind the scenes at the Oscars (R)? HIGHS AND LOWS - Winning awards and recognition worldwide for their work, and dealing with the heartbreak of shutting down a production. INSIGHTS into how two men who freely admit they are not at all business-minded managed to build a multi-million pound business. CONTRIBUTIONS from Eddie Redmayne, Timothy Spall, Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Grant. Foreword by Matt Groening.

A captivating and definitive account of the final days of Van Gogh's life and the incredible story of what followed. Divided into three parts, the book first examines the eventful days from the artists' departure from the asylum in Saint-Remy and arrival in Auvers until the shooting which brought his life to an end. During this time Van Gogh completed 70 paintings in 70 days. The second part delves deeper into the story of the artist's death, which has intrigued both experts and the public for years, revealing little-known stories and uncovering overlooked accounts. We then follow the story of how Van Gogh subsequently rose from relative obscurity to international renown and ultimately fame as one of the most recognisable and popular artists in the world. Leading Van Gogh specialist Martin Bailey writes with insight and intelligence, bringing these fateful days to life with colour and character as well as historical expertise, capturing the real sense of a tragic but meaningful life truly lived.

ONE OF THE TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES' BEST BOOKS FOR 2022 'Eye-opening and full of surprises . . . A treasure' Sunday Times 'A biography as rich with colourful characters as any novel' Telegraph John Constable, the revolutionary nineteenth-century painter of the landscapes and skies of southern England, is Britain's best-loved but perhaps least understood artist. His paintings reflect visions of landscape that shocked and perplexed his contemporaries: attentive to detail, spontaneous in gesture, brave in their use of colour. What we learn from his landscapes is that Constable had sharp local knowledge of Suffolk, a clarity of expression of the skyscapes above Hampstead, an understanding of the human tides in London and Brighton, and a rare ability in his late paintings of Salisbury Cathedral to transform silent suppressed passion into paint. Yet Constable was also an active and energetic correspondent. His letters and diaries - there are over one thousand letters from and to him - reveal a man of passion, opinion and discord, while his character and personality is concealed behind the high shimmering colour of his paintings. They reveal too the lives and circumstances of his brothers and his sisters, his cousins and his aunts, who serve to define the social and economic landscape against which he can be most clearly seen. These multifaceted reflections draw a sharp picture of the person, as well as the painter. James Hamilton's biography reveals a complex, troubled man, and explodes previous mythologies about this timeless artist, and establishes him in his proper context as a giant of European art.

The extraordinary life story of the celebrated artist and writer, as told through four decades of intimate letters to her beloved mother Barbara Chase-Riboud has led a remarkable life. After graduating from Yale's School of Design and Architecture, she moved to Europe and spent decades traveling the world and living at the center of artistic, literary, and political circles. She became a renowned artist whose work is now in museum collections around the world. Later, she also became an award-winning poet and bestselling novelist. And along the way, she met many luminaries-from Henri Cartier-Bresson, Salvador Dali, Alexander Calder, James Baldwin, and Mao Zedong to Toni Morrison, Pierre Cardin, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Josephine Baker. I Always Knew is an intimate and vivid portrait of Chase-Riboud's life as told through the letters she wrote to her mother, Vivian Mae, between 1957 and 1991. In candid detail, Chase-Riboud tells her mother about her life in Europe, her work as an artist, her romances, and her journeys around the world, from Western and Eastern Europe to the Middle East, Africa, the Soviet Union, China, and Mongolia. By turns brilliant and naive, passionate and tender, poignant and funny, these letters show Chase-Riboud in the process of becoming who she is and who she might become. But what emerges most of all is the powerful story of a unique and remarkable relationship between a talented, ambitious, and courageous daughter and her adored mother.

In August 1970 Elton John achieved overnight fame after a rousing performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles; over the next five years he was unstoppable, scoring seven consecutive number 1 albums and sixteen Top 10 singles in America. But behind his outre image and comedy glasses lay a desperately shy individual, conflicted about his success, his sexuality, and his narcotic indulgences. In 1975, at the apex of his fame, John attempted suicide twice yet, after announcing his retirement in 1977 at the age of thirty as well as coming out as a gay man, he gradually found his way back to music. Captain Fantastic is an intimate look at the rise, fall and rise again of John's fame-and-drug fuelled decade, with a final section bringing his life up to the present.

When Julia Child arrived in Paris in 1948, 'a six-foot-two-inch, thirty-six-year-old, rather loud and unserious Californian', she barely spoke a word of French and didn't know the first thing about cooking. As she fell in love with French culture - buying food at local markets, sampling the local bistros, and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu - her life began to change forever. We follow her extraordinary transformation from kitchen ingenue to internationally renowned (and internationally loved) expert in French cuisine. Bursting with Child's adventurous and humorous spirit, My Life in France captures post-war Paris with wonderful vividness and charm.

When Michael K. Williams died on 6 September 2021, he left behind a career as one of the most electrifying actors of his generation. From his star turn as Omar Little in The Wire to Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire to Emmy-nominated roles in HBO's The Night Of and Lovecraft Country, Williams inhabited a slew of indelible roles that he portrayed with a rawness and vulnerability that leapt off the screen. Beyond the nominations and acclaim, Williams played characters who connected, whose humanity couldn't be denied, whose stories were too often left out of the main narrative. At the time of his death, Williams had nearly finished a memoir that tells the story of his past while looking to the future, a book that merges his life and his life's work. Mike, as his friends knew him, was so much more than an actor. In Scenes from My Life, he traces his life in whole, from his childhood in East Flatbush and his early years as a dancer to his battles with addiction and the bar fight that left his face with his distinguishing scar. He was a committed Brooklyn resident and activist who dedicated his life to working with social justice organisations and his community, especially in helping at-risk youth find their voice and carve out their future. Williams worked to keep the spotlight on those he fought for and with, whom he believed in with his whole heart. Imbued with poignance and raw honesty, Scenes from My Life is the story of a performer who gave his all to everything he did-in his own voice, in his own words, as only he could.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (c.1606-1669) was the most talked-about painter of the 17th-century - and quite possibly of the following centuries too. His prodigious talent, extraordinary emotional truth, and reckless disregard of artistic convention astonished, delighted and often dismayed his contemporaries; and the full gamut of these reactions is revealed in the three early biographies published here for the first time in their entirety in English. Sandrart, a German painter and writer on painting, actually knew Rembrandt in Amsterdam; Baldinucci, also an artist contemporary with Rembrandt, was one of the greatest early connoisseurs of prints; and Arnold Houbraken, who studied under some of Rembrandt's pupils, wrote the earliest major biographical account of the artists of Holland. These extraordinary documents give a vivid picture of Rembrandt's shattering impact on the art world of his time - not only as a painter, but as a supremely successful manipulator of the market, a dangerous example to the young, and an unavoidable challenge to any sense of decorum and rule-giving. Rooted firmly in the 17-century realities of Rembrandt's life, they bring into sharper focus the qualities of originality and psychological acuity that remain Rembrandt's trademark to this day. The introduction by Charles Ford situates these biographies in the context of 17th-century appreciation of art, and the trajectory of Rembrandt's career. The translations have been specially prepared for this edition by Charles Ford, aided by Ulrike Kern and Francesca Migliorini, and in part following the work of Tancred Borenius.

A visual autobiography of a kind as only Diane Keaton could tell it, via the celebrated star s idiosyncratic and personal collections and ruminative texts, Savedoffers an unprecedented glimpse into the mind of the legendary film star. The book begins with an homage to movies curiously, to old b grade horror flicks, such as Attack of the Puppet People a passion that manifests in a collection of rare film stills showing large-brain aliens with crablike hands and terrified men with eyes growing from their shoulders. In a second chapter or collection, the reader encoun-ters Cracked, a startling selection of crinkled and neglected negatives: found portraits that speak of the past through the broken lens of time. Even more intimately revealing are photographs taken by the star herself, be they of pigeons while on downtime from the set of Reds in London or of the greeters of Hollywood Boulevard, caught at the other end of her Rolleiflex camera lens, now revealed as the seen, the experienced, the remembered, the cherished. But this is only the beginning, the surface of a very deep dive into the wellsprings of one of the great creative talents at work today. The book is an invitation to dive in.

In The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock Edward White explores the Hitchcock phenomenon-what defines it, how it was invented, what it reveals about the man at its core and how its legacy continues to shape our cultural world. The book's twelve chapters illuminate different aspects of Hitchcock's life and work: "The Boy Who Couldn't Grow Up"; "The Murderer"; "The Auteur"; "The Womanizer"; "The Fat Man"; "The Dandy"; "The Family Man"; "The Voyeur"; "The Entertainer"; "The Pioneer"; "The Londoner"; "The Man of God". Each of these angles reveals something fundamental about the man he was and the mythological creature he has become, presenting not just the life Hitchcock lived, but also the various versions of himself that he projected and those projected on his behalf. White's portrayal illuminates a vital truth: Hitchcock was more than a Hollywood titan; he was the definitive modern artist and his significance reaches far beyond the confines of cinema.

One of the best-loved painters in English history, Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) was also one of the most personally engaging. Bon vivant, wit, amateur and enthusiastic musician, he charmed sitters and friends alike. His ebullient, if not always reliable, personality comes to life in these two memoirs, written by two very different friends.

Harry Redknapp is a well known and highly respected face in the world of football. But it wasn't until his stint in the I'm A Celebrity Jungle in 2018 that he was propelled into a whole new audience along with his loyal wife of 55 years, Sandra. Viewers instantly fell in love with the couple after Harry regaled tales of their meeting in the Two Puddings pub in Barking, London in 1963. And there was even a new found love for the classic jam roly-poly as Harry fondly revealed it was the dessert she always cooks for him! Now, Sandra is joining Harry in the spotlight as they share their entire love story for the very first time. From their low key wedding, to the births of their two sons Mark and Jamie, Harry and Sandra will reveal the highs and lows of their marriage in their first ever joint autobiography, When Harry Met Sandra. Sandra will open up for the first time about the devastating death of her beloved sister, Pat, mum to former Chelsea star Frank, and the horror car crash that left Harry feared dead in Italy in 1990. The couple will also candidly discuss the deep depression Harry felt as a footballer manager, his arrest for alleged tax evasion in 2006 and the moment Harry accidentally ran his wife over in his car, crushing her foot - with Sandra being his rock throughout. In happier times, Harry and Sandra will recall their time spent living in America with the late, great Bobby Moore, as well as the births of their much loved grandchildren, including former footballer Jamie's son, Raphael, who was born last November. The couple will also look ahead to next year, which marks 60 years since they first met. When Harry Met Sandra is an incredible tale of love, loss and loyalty.

The lives, loves, adventures and trailblazing musical careers of four extraordinary women from a stunning debut biographer. 'Magnificent.' Kate Mosse 'Riveting.' Antonia Fraser 'A breath of fresh air.' Kate Molleson 'Fascinating.' Alexandra Harris 'Wonderful.' Claire Tomalin 'Splendid.' Miranda Seymour 'Remarkable.' Fiona Maddocks 'Pioneering.' Andrew Motion Ethel Smyth (b.1858): Famed for her operas, this trailblazing queer Victorian composer was a larger-than-life socialite, intrepid traveller and committed Suffragette. Rebecca Clarke (b.1886): This talented violist and Pre-Raphaelite beauty was one of the first women ever hired by a professional orchestra, later celebrated for her modernist experimentation. Dorothy Howell (b.1898): A prodigy who shot to fame at the 1919 Proms, her reputation as the 'English Strauss' never dented her modesty; on retirement, she tended Elgar's grave alone. Doreen Carwithen (b.1922): One of Britain's first woman film composers who scored Elizabeth II's coronation film, her success hid a 20-year affair with her married composition tutor. In their time, these women were celebrities. They composed some of the century's most popular music and pioneered creative careers; but today, they are ghostly presences, surviving only as muses and footnotes to male contemporaries like Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Britten - until now. Leah Broad's magnificent group biography resurrects these forgotten voices, recounting lives of rebellion, heartbreak and ambition, and celebrating their musical masterpieces. Lighting up a panoramic sweep of British history over two World Wars, Quartet revolutionises the canon forever.

In The Pursuit of Porsha, media personality and entrepreneur Porsha Williams opens up about family, faith, fame, and becoming an agent for change. Porsha Williams is one of today's most recognizable faces in pop culture and a remarkable voice in the television and podcast communities. In The Pursuit of Porsha, she takes readers on a deeply personal journey filled with tragedy, triumphs, humor, and tears as she shares her search for happiness and self-acceptance, giving fans a first-hand look into the defining moments that have never been captured on-screen or in the press. Charged with candor, vulnerability, and the sharp wit Porsha is known and loved for, The Pursuit of Porsha brings readers back to the beginning and along her path of self-reflection and discovery. From her upbringing as the granddaughter of civil rights activist Hosea Williams to painful recollections of childhood bullying to her roles as a pop culture personality, mother, and entrepreneur, Porsha shares every moment that has tried - and restored - her faith, over and over again. Through it all, Porsha has proven she is more than a soundbite, headline, or rumor. She is an empowering role model to black women and an icon for women everywhere. In The Pursuit of Porsha, Porsha's fans will connect with her like they never have before.

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK 'A great, thrusting codpiece of a book. It is big, bombastic and richly brocaded... A jewel in its own right' The Times 'Evokes the painter and his world as vividly as a Holbein masterpiece. Beautifully written and illustrated, this book is a must for lovers of Tudor history' Tracy Borman Full of insight... This is a gorgeous book, to which I am sure I shall return again and again' Dan Jones Hans Holbein the Younger is chiefly celebrated for his beautiful and precisely realised portraiture, which includes representations of Henry VIII, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Anne of Cleves, Jane Seymour and an array of the Tudor lords and ladies he encountered during the course of two sojourns in England. But beyond these familiar images, which have come to define our perception of the world of the Henrician court, Holbein was a protean and multi-faceted genius: a humanist, satirist, political propagandist, and contributor to the history of book design as well as a religious artist and court painter. The rich layers of symbolism and allusion that characterise his work have proved especially fascinating to scholars. Franny Moyle traces and analyses the life and work of an extraordinary artist against the backdrop of an era of political turbulence and cultural transformation, to which his art offers a subtle and endlessly refracting mirror.

Leeds, 1980. Amid the violence and decay, the city was home to an extraordinarily vibrant post-punk scene. Out of that swamp crawled the Sisters of Mercy. Over the next five years, they would rise from local heroes to leading alternative band, before blowing apart on the verge of major rock stardom. Their path was strewn with brilliant singles, astonishing EPs, exceptional album tracks and legendary live shows. Two classic line-ups were created and destroyed: Andrew Eldritch on vocals, Craig Adams on bass, Gary Marx and Ben Gunn - later replaced by Wayne Hussey - on guitars, and a drum machine called Doktor Avalanche. Drawing on dozens of interviews with band members and key figures in the Sisters' journey, Paint My Name in Black and Gold is the most complete account yet of how - against the odds and all reasonable expectation - these young men came to make transcendent and life-changing music.

This memoir by one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time offers a frank and riveting account of his unparalleled life, from his tumultuous marriages and the tragic suicide of his daughter to the stories behind his many hits.

Over the past six decades, Burt Bacharach's legendary songwriting has touched millions of devoted listeners all over the world. In Anyone Who Had a Heart, Bacharach steps out from behind the music to give an honest, engaging look at his life--from his childhood in Forest Hills, New York, during the 1930s and 1940s to his rise as one of the most accomplished composers in modern popular music, working with Hal David, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, and many others.

While he soared professionally, Bacharach's private life was dominated by the never-ending search for love--and the heartbreak that comes when it is lost. His first three marriages ended in divorce. His long-running partnership with the late Hal David suffered a bitter split that lasted seventeen years. Throughout the highs and lows, Bacharach pursued his muse. Powerful and honest, Anyone Who Had a Heart illuminates the sensitivity and intelligence of a musical legend and offers a unique backstage look at the world of show business.

On 29 September 1981, Peter Turner received a phone call that would change his life. His former lover, Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame, had collapsed in a Lancaster hotel and was refusing medical attention. He had no choice but to take her into his chaotic and often eccentric family's home in Liverpool. Liverpool born and bred, Turner had first set eyes on Grahame when he was a young actor, living in London. Best known for her portrayal of irresistible femme fatales in films such as The Big Heat, Oklahoma and The Bad and the Beautiful, for which she won an Oscar, Grahame electrified audiences with her steely expressions and heavy lidded eyes and the heroines she bought to life were often dark and dangerous. Turner and Grahame became firm friends and remained so ever after their love affair had ended. And it was to him she turned in her final hour of need. Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is an affectionate, moving and wryly humorous memoir of friendship, love and stardom.